Guys

Just thought I would share with you a great day I had yesterday.

After twenty years out of contact, by chance, I recently caught up with an old primary school buddy and have been fishing and shooting together since.

We booked a couple of rods of the river Orchy, which I think is possibly the most beautiful river in Britain; a mix of craggy waterfalls, glides, riffles and plunge pools. It was a cracking clear wintery day and all the grass was white with frost, the trees lining river and hillside were a blaze of autumn shades and the surrounding mountains were dusted in snow.

We didn't touch a thing all day, were frozen to the bone but loved every minute of it.....Didn't do much of my usual wild trout fishing this season but you could take all this year's rainbow trout days and would trade it all for a day on the Orchy without a single fish

Any particular days that stand out in your mind from this season for reasons other than bag caught?

Watching spent gnat falling gently on sheelin like snowflakes littered all over the surface. Followed by watching large wild trout cruise by sipping fly at their leisure and ignoring every artificial in sight. By diving down under the artificial and re-appearing beyond it. Frustrating, but memorable. Sticks in the mind to say the least.

Mine this year was day 3 of my Iceland trip. I'd had a good few grilse by then and was really looking forward to hooking into something a little more substantial. It had been a great day with 4 more to the bank (all grilse) and hkad just fished the Lava pool and missed a cracker there.

The 10.30pm sun was washing out of the sky, and it was getting cold, and dark. The quide asked if we'l like to fish the pool we were in one more time, or drive up to the 'junction' for the last 10 minutes. ui chose the Junction pool as it's great fly water and full of fish.



After a few minutes, i got a long slow pull which i struck into. the 7 weight bent right round and the fish hugged the bottom, where he stayed for 10 mins before we could get him moving by throwing rocks.

The (still unseen) salmon then took off literally smoking my reel down the rapids where he ran for about 1/3 mile before finding a hollow to play his last out in. I could see him lying in the crystal clear water with his fins out strong enough to root himself no matter how much pressure i piled on the 9 footer. finally he came up and looked so ugly as he breached the surface There's something about the big read cocks that's awesome though. He was still defiant and full of fight after 40 minutes and he went back fine.

About 21 1l2 and a new PB (98cm)

The next day in another pool i hooked a very strong fish. remember these pools are small and rocky and good fun to fight a 5 pounder in. a 10 pounder gives a real challenge and anything bigger can cause a few puckering moments!! well this fish tore round the pool with me having to wade round car sized boulders that stuck 3 feet out of the water to free the line, the fish looked huge as she swam in the shallows at the head of the pool. and i dared think she was bigger still than the night before's. finally she gave in and bulged the net. a bright silver fresh hen fish this time, 19 or 20lb ish (94cm) and as fat and strong as a barrel.

Both were memorable fish that I was proud to catch.

Cheers
Alex

Well, my memories are meagre compared to the previous tales, however mine are as memorable to me as a beginner.
This has been my first full season as a fly fisherman, so the learning curve has (and still is) a steep one.
My memories -
The first time I managed a great 20 yard cast with good turnover.
The first time I stalked a specific fish, cast a dry fly in front of it's nose and managed to land and release it.
The first fish I caught on one of my home tied flies ( a size 19 griffith's gnat)

I suppose that's a good thing about being a newbie to the sport, I am getting a lot of firsts !
My next first will be my first day river fishing for grayling. this will be with our very own ACW here on the forum. Roll on November 7th !!

Cheers,
Gary.

__________________
"Calling Fly Fishing a hobby is like calling Brain Surgery a job."

Two two pound plus wild brownies on my first trip of the season on the Rye in early April;plenty more followed but a wonderful start to what turned out to be a cracking season.

First fish caught on a fly that i tied myself, a grayling, all of 6" long, leaving me more happy than at any other time this year!

__________________
Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans
John Lennon

http://walksandfishes.blogspot.com/

Memories of this season Hmmm!

This would be one.



And this.



Finding these alpine plants which I had never seen before. Those flowers are tiny and easily overlooked.



And fishing of course




Nothing special.

__________________
Don't worry, be happy.
Sandy
Carried it in full, then carry it out empty.

Hi Sandy, Those views are to die for mate. Absolutely breathtaking. That is one of those moments when, you could just sit down and soak up the scenery.

Really nice of you to share that.

Regards

Stuart

Hi All, Whilst fishing at Ellerdine Lakes in Shropshire. A large fish appeared just in front of me. I half heartedly flicked a Flash Straggler at it, then all hell broke loose!!

Within around 15 seconds, I was wondering when my backing would run out! After struggling to get that back onto the spool, the fish went and did it again.

I flicked open my Seaforth folding net, then realised it may not be able to cope with this fish? My doubts were soon extinguished, when the fish slipped into the net.

I don't know who was the more relieved, the fish or me. That was 15lb of mad Rainbow and it knew how to take care of it itself.

Really, I was dead chuffed I think.

Regards

Stuart

catching a 61cm wild brown on the Tweed with a new dry i was playing about with, now called the FMF, f***ing magic flee,